African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 340: Chapter 20: Behind the Current Version

The battlefield between the East African Army and the Matebele Kingdom troops was to the east of Bulawayo. On the East African side, it comprised border forces from the South Salzburg Province and part of the Second Brigade of the Southern Road Army, totaling more than six thousand men. The Matebele Kingdom had over sixteen thousand troops, including more than ten thousand Shona Tribe auxiliary forces.

Sivert held a telescope, looking at the Matebele Kingdom troops across the way, and said, ”It seems the Matebele Kingdom is ready for a do-or-die fight. However, their choice to engage us directly is quite interesting!”

If there’s one tactic that gives the East African Army headaches, it’s guerrilla warfare. Thus, the East African Army has extensive experience in counter-guerrilla warfare in Africa. The East African Kingdom certainly hopes for its enemies to engage them openly rather than acting like underhanded tricksters.

The reason the Ndebele people chose direct confrontation is straightforward—they lacked understanding of using firearms, especially commanding such a large-scale firearm unit, which could only be accomplished with the help of Boer instructors.

Boers have little experience in commanding on a large scale; they too employ guerrilla tactics, becoming more flexible with cavalry support.

In the absence of experience, they resorted to borrowing existing tactics. Boer instructors directly applied British Lobster Soldiers’ ”line infantry tactics” to the Ndebele soldiers.

The British still maintained their prestige, being the world’s strongest nation. British Lobster Soldiers employed the ”line infantry tactics,” which faced no rival in the colonies.

The formal term for line infantry tactics is linear tactics, which arose out of necessity due to the level of firearms at the time, mainly to ensure lethality. To maximize the attack power of flintlock guns, the three-rank volley firing tactic emerged. The name itself indicates the formation pattern of this tactic.

However, opposite them, officers from the East African Kingdom Army, especially those from the South Salzburg Province border forces, were students from the Heixinggen Military Academy who participated in the Prussia War.

In the Prussia War, line infantry tactics were already outdated. Hence, these Heixinggen Military Academy students mastered more advanced skirmish line tactics. Although skirmish line tactics emerged in the era of Napoleon, large-scale application occurred during the Prussia War, where Prussian Dreyse rifles were vastly inferior in performance and accuracy to French forces. To avoid suppression by French firepower, skirmish line tactics became widely used.

In battles between the East African Kingdom and natives, natives often scattered upon encountering them. Thus, the East African kingdom most often had headaches after battles during the pursuit of these scattered defeated soldiers. Accordingly, East African troops frequently had to disperse their forces, leading to further enhancement of skirmish line tactics in East Africa.

Lobengula: ”Mr. Wiggins, should we charge forward just like this? No need for cover?”

Wiggins: ”Your Majesty, trust my judgment. You must know, this is the tactic used by the army of the world’s most powerful nation—the United Kingdom. Don’t see the orderly formation as rigid; imagine the effect when these firearms simultaneously discharge, forming a dense wall of firepower that annihilates any enemy before it.”

Lobengula was reassured. The name of the Great British Kingdom was something he had heard of, or rather, any country not very isolated from outside contact knew of the reputation of the British Empire. It was the undisputed world overlord, and even the mighty Boers couldn’t stand against them.

Wiggins: ”Your Majesty, let the Shona Tribe auxiliary forces charge at the forefront first. We can deplete East African ammunition initially.”

”No problem!” Lobengula replied.

So, over ten thousand Shona Tribe auxiliary forces were driven forward by Ndebele troops, advancing toward the direction of the East African Army.

These poor Shona Tribe soldiers didn’t even possess decent weapons. Most held crudely trimmed wooden sticks, some even unstripped of green bark, clearly hastily made from freshly felled trees. Only the foremost ones equipped with Ndebele’s discarded throwing spears as ranged weapons.

With their acquisition of firearms, Ndebele abandoned the single-use primitive weapon of throwing spears. However, the Ndebele still mistrusted firearms completely. They dismantled their original weapons, melted down the metal components, and refashioned them into curved swords for close combat, worn at the waist. Although the Zulu people’s most essential shields weren’t discarded but kept on their backs for emergency use.

At this moment, the weaponry of the Ndebele placed them at an impressive level throughout Africa. In stark contrast were the Shona Tribe auxiliary forces armed with sticks as weapons.

”The enemy moved, but is Lobengula joking? He’s planning to send these people to their deaths,” remarked Sivert upon seeing the Shona Tribe auxiliary forces armed with sticks and throwing spears.

”Chief of General Staff, in Lobengula’s eyes, the Shona Tribe are just expendable materials. He doesn’t concern himself with their survival. Lobengula clearly intends to use the Shona Tribe auxiliary forces to deplete a wave of our ammunition.”

Sivert sneered, ”Let’s see if they can withstand it. Bring the artillery forward and carry out indiscriminate shelling on the enemy formation.”

Soon after, eighteen small-caliber cannons were brought forward. With a command from the officer, ”Boom... Boom... Boom...”

Shells brightly fell within the formation of Shona Tribe auxiliary forces. Indeed, the power of the artillery instantly shattered the Shona Tribe auxiliary forces’ will. Artillery is highly effective in breaking the combat desire of natives and is a tried-and-true tactic in East Africa during colonial expansion. Even the toughest opponents can’t dispel the fear of artillery.

For the Shona Tribe auxiliary forces, today was truly terrifying. Driven by the Ndebele, psychologically, the Shona people certainly lacked willingness. But the Ndebele were considered an invincible presence to the numerous Shona Tribe. Recently, the Ndebele acquired a dreadful weapon (firearms) capable of killing invisibly, which made the Shona Tribe auxiliary forces further afraid to resist Ndebele’s rule and leadership.

However, the enemy opposite was even more terrifying. They pushed several hollowed, round ”tree stumps,” directing the round openings toward them from afar, then a deafening explosion resounded through the sky. The place struck instantly flooded with blood; the heat wave was felt even dozens of meters away. Such ”Celestial Thunder” was divine punishment, and how could mortals resist the Celestial God?

The Shona Tribe auxiliary forces immediately broke down; some fleeing in all directions, others lying on the ground, muttering prayers, seeking forgiveness from the Celestial God. Even when the Ndebele supervised teams fired upon them, the Shona Tribe auxiliary forces remained indifferent.

”These Shona are useless!” Lobengula angrily cursed from the rear, ”Mr. Wiggins, the East Africans have artillery. What should we do?”

Lobengula, indeed, had seen artillery before. Though rare in Africa, he once saw it in Boer possession.

Wiggins: ”Don’t worry, Your Majesty, the East Africans came in haste. The ammunition they carry is surely limited. Once their shells run out, we can compete with them.”

In reality, Wiggins was uncertain himself. Who knows how much ammunition the East Africans prepared? If things turn unfavorable later, withdrawal might be the best option.

Sivert: ”Alright, the Shona auxiliary forces are useless now. No need to waste ammunition. Halt firing and advance all forces.”

With Sivert’s order, East Africa ceased artillery fire, but began to push forward.

Wiggins: ”Your Majesty, the East Africans are attacking directly. Next, when they enter two hundred meters range, we can shoot directly.”

However, Wiggins miscalculated. The advancing East African army was no mere cannon fodder. The Dreiser rifles equipped by the South Salzburg Province border forces boasted double the range of the Ndebele’s rifled guns with far superior accuracy.

Wiggins, being long associated with South Africa, was unaware of current European military developments. The equipment level of the South Salzburg Province border forces was second only to the armies of powerful nations like Britain, France, Germany, Austria, and Russia.